Crossing the BLVD
Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New America
Published on 10. June 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
978-0-393-32466-2 (ISBN)
Description
For three years, Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan traveled the world by trekking the streets of their home borough. This book documents the people they encountered along the way. First person narratives are illuminated by strikingly direct photographic portraits of the subjects alongside the objects of their worlds. Lehrer's postmodern, Talmudic design juxtaposes the multiple perspectives of these new Americans, now thrown together as neighbors, classmates, coworkers, enemies, and friends. They reflect on the good, the ugly and the unexpected in their stories of crossing oceans, borders, wars, economic hardship, and cultural divides. These soulful narratives are put in context by the authors' personal and historical observations. The voices, images and sounds collected here form a portrait of a paradoxical and ever-shifting America.
Reviews / Votes
"This stunningly innovative book goes beyond pathos, into the kaleidoscope of experience that defines real immigrant life." -- Debbie Nathan - City Limits "One of the best books ever! Thank you for telling these stories." -- Faith Middleton - Faith Middleton Show, Connecticut Public Radio "A fascinating book....Filled with vivid descriptions and very human, powerful, poignant stories." -- Michael Krasny - Forum, KQED "An incredible, moving story...Oral history with a twist." -- Marco Werman - The World, BBC "Explodes the paradigms of oral history and reinterpreti[s] them for our multimedia century..." -- Archivist Roundtable of New York: Winner, Innovative Use of Archive Award "Brims over with the energy, heart and spirit that went into creating this important work." -- Dave Isay, documentary radio artist, Ghetto Life 101, The Sunshine Hotel, Witness to an Execution "Boldly carries the tradition of oral history into the 21st Century. An electrifying collage of voices, faces, and spirits." -- Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues "Brings alive the most polyglot place on the planet....An outstanding book on the new New York!" -- John Kuo Wei Tchen, Historian, New York University, co-founder of the Museum of Chinese in the Americas "Fascinating.... this extraordinary volume...provides a glimpse of the new America which is emerging." -- Ron Daniels, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional RightsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
500 color illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 249 mm
Width: 168 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
1011 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-393-32466-2 (9780393324662)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Award winning writer, designer and photographer Warren Lehrer, and actress, writer and oral historian Judith Sloan-a married couple-live in Queens where they co-founded EarSay, a non-profit arts organization. Their multimedia projects portray lives of the uncelebrated, bridging the divide between documentary and expressive forms. As part of this project they produced Crossing the BLVD documentaries for New York Public Radio. Award winning writer, designer and photographer Warren Lehrer, and actress, writer and oral historian Judith Sloan-a married couple-live in Queens where they co-founded EarSay, a non-profit arts organization. Their multimedia projects portray lives of the uncelebrated, bridging the divide between documentary and expressive forms. As part of this project they produced Crossing the BLVD documentaries for New York Public Radio.